Transparent starting box



Jam. 29, 1935. H. s. LEVENSON 1,989,204

TRANSPARENT STARTING BOX Filed Dec. 15, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l HATT/E S- LEVENSON Jan. 29, 1935. H. s. LEVENSON TRANSPARENT STARTING BOX 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 15, 1932 HATTIE S.LEVEN.SON

Jan. 29, 1935. H. s. LEVENSON TRANSPARENT STARTING BOX Filed Dec. 15, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 SHAW/HM H A T776 5, LE VENSo/V Patented Jan, .29, 1935 UNI'l'ED STATES I 1,9s9,204 v v I PA EN RTIN Hattie s Levenson, MiamL Fla ApplicationDecember 15, 1932," Serial No.,647,455

Theinvention forming thesubject'matter of r.

- this application relates-to improvements in start- "ing boxes used dog racing to hold dogs preparatory to starting a'race.

The boxesused heretofore are usually constructe'd to provide; a separate compartment for "eachdog and ordinarily are provided with doors designed to "operate so as to effect the simultaneous release of all the dogs in a box. Heretofore, it has been customary to make these boxes of opaque material, so that when-the dogswere 'lockedin their compartments, it was impossible for theowners, or for the public interested, to determine"whether or not the dogs and dogs have sometimes been deliberately placed therein with their heads'turned toward the rear instead of the front of thebox, f It is, therefore; the main object'of the present invention to provide a starting box divided into compartments, and in which the ends, top and partitions; at least, are made of transparent 1 material. g v

In'race tracks-such as are shown in the U. S. 'Patent No. 1,850,040, it is customary to arrange 30 the starting boxes across the course between the barrier walls enclosing'the course. As soon as the dogs are started it is necessary to remove the starting box as quickly as possible from the course; otherwise, the'dogs in completing a lap would find the 'course obstructed by the box.-

Since these boxes are usually heavy and cumbersome, they are hard to maneuver and remove in the short time the dogs consume in running vention to provide each starting box with a supporting base, aadpted to be'positioned adjacent "a gap madein the track barrier, along which Still another objeot'of the invention is to-provide a box of this character in which all the doors Figure 1 is a perspective view of the starting box;

Figure 2 isavertical transverse section. taken onthe1ine22ofFigure1;

1: :Figure 3 is a fragmentary end elevationofpart of the back of the starting box;

.Figure 4 is a framentary transverse s tion 5 taken on the line 4-4 of .Figure 2; Figure 5 is afragmentary elevationof: apair of doorsinv'the front of the starting box; 1 Figure '6 is a fragmentary'perspectiveview of a modified form of the inventiom 1 -1 Figure? is a detail to anfenliarged scale of looking mechanism used in theimodificationshown in Figure 6; and. M "Figure 8 is a fragmentary diagrammatic plan view. of starting boxes as applied to'the'courseof dog'race track.

rzinracingapparatus of the characteririllusitrated in U. 8. Patent No. 1,850,040, it is custommy to arrange aistarting box li (seeFigure'B) across the coursev 2, along which a'- line '3ifis adapted to be moved at various speeds by mechanism well known in this art, "and-shown for exv ample in the aforesaid -patent. 1 It 'is-"usual to arrange several of these boxes "at various distances around the track in accordance-with the distances of the several races to be run. For

example, the boxes 4 and-5 maybe arranged at various distances fromathe-box 1, where-it is found desirable to vary the'distanc'e "For distances greater than thelength of the course, it isnecessary to remove the boxes from the track, to clear the track of obstruction for the dogs after they havecompleted the circuit from the starting point and are'required to'continue the race for additional laps; It is alsonecessary to move these boxes very quickly'because' the dogs run veryfast and completethe circuit, v usually about one quarter mile around-in a' mata'lap. It is therefore another object of this inter of about twenty-five seconds. It therefore becomes important to provide means whereby' the starting boxes may be quickly withdrawn from the course For this purpose, the boxes of thepresent' invention are mounted to 'slide-on base members 6, outside the track andis provided with parallel channel runways 7 and 8 adapted H to receive slidably the rails 9 and 10,- suitably at the-front of the boxare snapped simultaneously to effect simultaneous release of the dogs 5 secured to the bottom 11 of the starting box '1. The bottom 11 projects at the other endof the starting box beyond the end wall thereof. This projection 12 is' intended to' keep therails 9- and 10 positioned in thetrackfland- 8 when the box bodily fromthe track, in order to position it in the channel members 7 and 8. The base member 6 is provided with a stop 13 at its outer end, to limit the movement of the starting box 1 outwardly from the track. Preferably, the

6 stop is positioned so that the inner end wall 14 of the starting box will lie substantially flush with the wall 10' of the track when the box is removed from the course 2. So far as this particular mount for the starting box is concerned, it is 10 immaterial-just how the box itself is constructed. However, itds preferred that it be constructed substantially as shown in Figures 1 and 6 of the drawings.

In the form of the invention illustrated ,inFigure 1, the end walls 14 and 15 are-made off-trans"- parent material. The top 16 is also -made of transparent material, such a s glass. Theback of the starting box comprises-a.- panel-1570f glass'or other transparent material; and the starting box 20 as a whole is divided into a plurality of comparttmsgparla'tionsxm, which are also made of transparent material.

Entrance :to the compartment is effected through doors l9whi'ch may or may not be trans- -:26 parent, but preferably are transparent. It will of course be understood that in constructing the :miouswallsandpartitions of transparentmaterial, suitable framework will be provided so that :these-parismaybeproperly connected together. 6310 It is immaterial whether this framework be made ofzwnod or metal. Theessential thing is that nubutmrtiallyalliof ,thetop, theend walls and the partitions shall be transparent. Entrance .into mdwseompartments is effected throughthe T 'dm.19, whid1= are suitablyhinged to the. aforesaid framework and are provided withmanually woerabielatches Theifront part of the .box 1 momprise'snn upper panel 21 which is preferably {transparent Thesfront'panel'zl has a holding :bar 22shinged tothe lcwerrail23. The bar 22 is .adaptedto-swing by gravity against the upper rails. oftbeidoorszi, preferably made of glass ypanels suitably seemed in frames 25.

Each compartmentlfi'has its-front end closed 445 "-by-a pair of doors '24; the doors 24 are hinged to upright rails .26., which form part of the a frameworkinwhich the transparent panels-of the parztiflOllS. 18' are-suitably secured.

To effect the simultaneous opening of all the IO :doora-a pair of bars 27 .and 28 are hinged to theswinging edges of thedoorsto effect the simulopening of the doors-when released from thc'iweight of timber 22. The .bar 27 extends neness :of all thedoors 24 and is con- ..nected-by hinges -29 to the swinging edges of the :nlghtzhand doors :24 hy means of the hin es -30. 28 extends-across the face of all the doors -;2 4. 1a.nd;is connected'by hinges 31 to the swinging )(flf thelefthand doors24. It is obvious momfliisoonstruction that if a 272136 pulled :outwamdly from the front of the box .1, it-will vopenall :of :the: right hand doors I 24 simultaneousvl'y. ,Italsobeobvious that when the bar '28 xiapulled outwardly, open all the left hand e doors of the .boxsimultaneously.

:b'ox front wall. :24 and bars .27 and 28 are similar-to those illustransverse. bars 27 and 28;-to open -all the-doors the outer end of the rod 33 while its inner end is connected to a hook 39 substantially in the center of the bar 27.

It will be apparent from Figure 1 of the drawings that the tension springs 34 and. 37 would 5 normally hold all of the doors 24 in open position. However, it is intended that the doors will be closed by means of a heavy bar 22. When it is desired to open the doors 24, the bar 22 may be swung upwardly about itshingedconnection with the rail. 23 to release the top of tlie doors 24 from its holding effect, thereby permitting the springs 24 and 37 to snap all of the doors simultane slyinto open position. It will be underin the form ofthe invention illustrated in Figure 6, -the doors 24 and the framework in general is the same as illustrated in Figures 1 and 20 in bearing brackets 41 and '42 suitably secured at opposite ends of the frameworkrof the stanting- In thismodification, thedoors trated in Figures 1 and 2. The shaft 4,0;is provided with laterally extending fingers 4l",which are of sufiicient length'to extend across both of the, bars .27 and 28 for thepurpose of holding all of'the doors 24 closed by pressure exerted upon the aforesaid bars 27 and-.28. J

The shaft 40=projects-beyond its bearing bracket 42 and has a rod;43 extending'diametrically therethrough. -The lower end of the rod 4351310- jects into the path of movement of a latch lever "44 which .issuitaoly pivoted to a bracket 44' secured to the -rod 33. *vided-withaweight '45 at the side of the pivot The. latch lever v44 is pro- 46 opposite .to thehook gend of the aforesaid latch. A stop 47;:1im-its the downward, movement 'of the latch 45.1 I'heyupper end 'oftherod 43 has .ing the .rod'43. Upon release of this rod 43, it

is obvious that the tension spring 48 will rotate the-shaft 40 to swing the fingers 41 away from the bars 27 and 28, thereby permitting the tension springs .84 and 37 to'snap all of the doors 24 60 open simultaneously.

.To avoid accidental movement of the starting box along its baseinto the course, the base-and the bottom of the box are provided with any suitable form of, friction locking means such as the ii5 common 'balland socket latch 12' :and;13' shown the drawings. Any other suitable form of latch "may be used for this purpose.

The invention is not to be considered as limited to the use of front doors in pairs. It is con-W .templated that .a single door may .besubstituted simultaneously. was

5 the invention to the exact form herein shown and described but it is desired to include all forms properly coming within the scope claimed.

What I claim is:

A starting box for dogs, comprising a skeleton 10 frame, top and side walls of smooth and imperforate transparent material, such as glass, a plurality of spaced partition members also of smooth and imperforate transparent material defining stalls, said top, side walls and partition members being mounted in said frame, a plurality of transparent doors hinged to said frame, and means supported by said frame connected to the doors for swinging of said doors to open position.

HATTIE. S. I LEVENSONK 

